The Director’s Cut - A DGA Podcast

The Many Saints of Newark with Alan Taylor and Greg Mottola (Ep. 326)

Director Alan Taylor discusses his new film, The Many Saints of Newark, with fellow director Greg Mottola in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. A prequel to the award-winning television series The Sopranos, the film follows a young Tony Soprano as he grows up in one of the most tumultuous eras in New Jersey history. As he idolizes his uncle Dickie Moltisanti, we see how the relationship influences his adolescence and contributes to his transformation into the all-powerful mob boss he will someday become.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/December2021/ManySaintsOfNewark_QnA_1021.aspx

Summer of Soul with Ahmir ”Questlove” Thompson and Amir Bar-Lev (Ep. 325)

Director Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson discusses his new film, Summer of Soul (...Or When the Revolutioun Could Not Be Televised), with fellow director Amir Bar-Lev in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. The film shines a light on archival footage of The Harlem Cultural Festival, an epic event celebrating Black history, culture and fashion that took place in the summer of 1969. Standing as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, the film includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, B.B. King and more.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/December2021/1021_DocSeries_SummerOfSoul.aspx

The Tender Bar with George Clooney and Jason Reitman (Ep. 324)

Director George Clooney discusses his new film, The Tender Bar, with fellow director Jason Reitman in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. Adapted from a memoir of the same name, the film tells the story of J.R., a fatherless boy who hangs out with his bartender Uncle in a bar that caters to an assortment of quirky characters. As his mother struggles to provide her son with opportunities and move out of her begrudgingly supportive father’s home, J.R. begins to pursue his romantic and professional dreams.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
www.dga.org/Events/2021/Novembe…Bar_QnA_102101.aspx

Dune with Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan (Ep. 323)

Director Denis Villeneuve discusses his new film, Dune, with fellow director Christopher Nolan in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. An adaptation of Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking science fiction novel, the film follows the son of a noble family, who is entrusted with the protection of the most valuable asset and vital element in the universe.
Please note: spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/Dune_QnA_1021.aspx

7 Prisoners with Alexandre Moratto and Victoria Hochberg (Ep. 322)

Director Alexandre Moratto discusses his new film, 7 Prisoners, with fellow director Victoria Hochberg in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film tells the story of 18-year-old Mateus, who accepts a job in far-away São Paulo to provide a better life for his family. Once there, Mateus rebels after discovering that he and the other young men are held as prisoners to “work off” their “travel expenses.” He is ultimately forced to choose between helping the very man who imprisoned him or risk his and his family’s future.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/GCS_7-Prisoners_0921.aspx

Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street with Marilyn Agrelo and Annetta Marion (Ep. 321)

Director Marilyn Agrelo discusses her new film, Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street, with fellow director Annetta Marion in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. Inspired by the book by Michael Davis, Street Gang takes us inside the minds and hearts of the artists, writers, producers, and educators who created Sesame Street, revealing not only how these visionary creators changed our world, but also what it was like to be at the center of a cultural and social phenomenon.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/0921DocSeries_StreetGang_NY.aspx

Coda with Siân Heder and Suzi Yoonessi (Ep. 320)

Director Siân Heder discusses her new film, Coda, with fellow director Suzi Yoonessi in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film follows Ruby, a Child of Deaf Adults who is the only hearing person in her deaf family. After the family fishing business is threatened, Ruby must choose between staying with her parents and leaving to pursue her love of music.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/CODA_QnA_092126.aspx

The Starling with Theodore Melfi and David E. Talbert (Ep. 319)

Director Theodore Melfi discusses his new film, The Starling, with fellow director David E. Talbert in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. In the film, a feisty starling sets up a nest at the home of Lilly, who is grieving a recent loss. As she battles with and attempts to rid her home of the combative bird, Lilly rediscovers her capacity for growth and love.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/TheStarling_QnA_092125.aspx

The Card Counter with Paul Schrader and John Patrick Shanley (Ep. 318)

Director Paul Schrader discusses his new film, The Card Counter, with fellow director John Patrick Shanley in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. The film weaves the story of an ex-military interrogator turned gambler, who is haunted by the ghosts of his past decisions. When he is approached by a vulnerable and angry young man seeking revenge against a mutual enemy from their past, he sees a chance for salvation, but risks a fall back into dark territory.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/October2021/CardCounter_QnA_092112.aspx

Dear Evan Hansen with Stephen Chbosky and Peter Hedges (Ep. 317)

Director Stephen Chbosky discusses his new film, Dear Evan Hansen, with fellow director Paul Hedges in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. An adaptation of the award-winning Broadway musical, the film presents the story of a high school senior with a social anxiety disorder, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and acceptance after the suicide of a fellow classmate.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/November2021/DearEvanHansen_QnA_092112.aspx

Queenpins with Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly and Cindy Chupack (Ep. 316)

Directors Aron Gaudet & Gita Pullapilly discuss their new film, Queenpins, with fellow director Cindy Chupack in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. Inspired by a true story, the film is about a bored and frustrated suburban homemaker, who hatches an illegal coupon club scheme with her best pal to scam millions from mega-corporations and deliver deals to fellow coupon clippers.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/October2021/Queenpins_QnA_092111.aspx

Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings with Destin Daniel Cretton and Jon M. Chu (Ep. 315)

Director Destin Daniel Cretton discusses his new film, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, with fellow director Jon M. Chu in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film welcomes a new superhero into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, telling the story of a martial arts master who must confront the past he thought he'd left behind when he is drawn in to the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/October2021/ShangChi_QnA_092105.aspx

Reminiscence with Lisa Joy and J.J. Abrams (Ep. 314)

Director Lisa Joy discusses her new film, Reminiscence, with fellow director J.J. Abrams in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film tells the story of Nick, a futuristic private investigator who helps his clients access lost memories. When an alluring new client named Mae disappears, Nick becomes obsessed with finding her and uncovers a violent conspiracy.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
www.dga.org/Events/2021/October…nce_QnA_082129.aspx

Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain with Morgan Neville and Ondi Timoner (Ep. 313)

Director Morgan Neville discusses his new film, Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film reveals how Bourdain went from chef at an obscure New York restaurant to a bestselling author, world traveler, Emmy-winning television writer and producer, and one of the most notorious and beloved figures in the food world and beyond.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/October2021/LA_DocSeries_RoadRunner.aspx

Respect with Liesl Tommy and Radha Blank (Ep. 312)

Director Liesl Tommy discusses his new film, Respect, with fellow director Radha Blank in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. The film follows the remarkable life of the “Queen of soul” Aretha Franklin, from her early days singing in her father's church choir to becoming a legendary international musical superstar.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/September2021/Respect_QnA_0821.aspx

Stillwater with Tom McCarthy and Scott Cooper (Ep. 311)

Director Tom McCarthy discusses his new film, Stillwater, with fellow director Scott Cooper in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film tells the story of Bill, an unemployed oil-rig roughneck who flies to Marseille to visit his estranged daughter Allison, who is imprisoned for a murder she claims she did not commit. Bill embarks on a mission to exonerate Allison despite language barriers, cultural differences and a complicated legal system.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/September2021/StillWater_QnA_0821.aspx

Night of the Kings with Philippe Lacôte and Alex Stapleton (Ep. 310)

Director Philippe Lacôte discusses his new film, Night of the Kings, with fellow director Alex Stapleton in a virtual Q&A. Set in Ivory Coast’s MACA Prison — an institute ruled by its inmates — the film tells the story of an ailing inmate king who assigns a young new prisoner to entertain the population with stories, but the ritual storyteller must keep the tales going all night long or forfeit his own life.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/September2021/GCS_NightoftheKings_0721.aspx

False Positive with John Lee and Sarah-Violet Bliss (Ep. 309)

Director John Lee discusses his new documentary film, False Positive, with fellow director Sarah-Violet Bliss in a Q&A at the DGA theater in New York. The film tells the story of Lucy and Adrian, a couple attempting to conceive who find a dream doctor in the illustrious Dr. Ingle. But after becoming pregnant with a healthy baby girl, Lucy begins to notices something sinister through Hindle's gleaming charm.
Please note spoilers are included.
See photos and a summary of this event below:
https://www.dga.org/Events/2021/August2021/FalsePositive_QnA_062127.aspx

The Craft of the Director with Barry Jenkins (Ep. 308)

Director Barry Jenkins participates in a conversation with DGA President Thomas Schlamme on Jenkins' filmography, drawing examples from Medicine for Melancholy, Moonlight, If Beale Street Could Talk, and The Underground Railroad.

The Boy from Medellín with Matthew Heineman and Ondi Timoner (Ep. 307)

Director Matthew Heineman discusses his new documentary film, The Boy from Medellín, with fellow director Ondi Timoner in a Q&A at the DGA theater in Los Angeles. The film provides an immersive look at a dramatic week in the life of international superstar J Balvin. As he prepares for his sold out stadium concert in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia, public pressure and political unrest grow around him forcing him to reflect on how he will use his voice.